Submarine-boat.



QPATENTED AUG. 18, 1908.

No.'896,36l. Y

' J. M. GAGE.

SUBMARINE BOAT. APPLICATION FILEDIERZI, 1906..

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FTTORNEY.

JoHrTlVLC JOHN M. CAGE, OF DENVER, COLORADO, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE SUB- ICE.

MARINE NAVIGATION AND MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

SU'BMARINE BOAT.

' Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 1 8, 1908.

To all whom it may concern:

. Be it known that I, JOHN M. CAGE, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Denver, in the county of Denver and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Submarine ,Boats, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to im rovements in submarine boats, its principa object being to produce means through instrumentality of which, the vessel may readily and s eedily be submerged, be heldat any desired de th or be returned to the surface, and which t us obviates the use of means for varying the wei ht of the boat", such as the trimmingtanks employed on the majority of submarine boats now in use. I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in the various views of which like arts are similarly designated and in which Figure 1represents 8. Ian view of my improved submarine boat, Fig. 2a vertical, longitudinal section therethrough, Fig. 3an

enlarged vertical cross section taken along a line 33, Fig. 1, Fig. 4an enlarged horizontal section taken along a line 44,-Fig. 2, Fig. 5a vertical longitudinal section showing a modified manner of arranging the submerging appliances, and Fig. 6a similar section illustrating a different modeofactuating the submerging means.

Referring to the drawings, 5 re resents the double-conoidal or cigar-shaped iull or shell of a submarine boat, access to the interior of which may be had by means of the normally hermetically closed hatch 6, which opens into the upper surface of the conning-tower 7.

The interior of the boat is divided into two compartments 8 and 9, the former of which constitutes the operating room, While the latter being preferably located in the middle of the boat, contains a suitable dynamo electric machine or generator 10, driven by-a gasolene engine 1 1 and by means of which the motors employed to operate the propelling-, submergingand steering-appliances of the boat are energized.

Four screw-propellers 12 and two longitudinally disposed, horizontal rudders 13 are arranged for the propulsion and guidance of the boat while floating upon or below the surface of the water and have been made subjects of separate applications for patent.

' are ,The means employed for submerging the boat consist of two or more horizontally extending, revoluble, spiral blades resembling in construction and action the screws used for marine propulsion. The submerging screws 15 consist of a hub 16 from which extend the diametrically arranged spiral blades .17. They are preferably arranged in pairs whic mesh into corresponding gears 23 The screws in each funnel evel gear wheels 22,

secured to the opposite ends of the su er posed hubs 16. A sleeve 36 surroun ing shaft 18' between the hubs, su ports the upper screw-propeller to avoid detrimental friction of the gears.

The gearing in each of the cylindrical conduits is preferably inclosed by a water-tight housing 25 rovided with alined packingboxes 25, tirough which hubs 16 extend and secured to the wall of the conduit by a laterally extending sleeve 27, which surrounds and supports shaft 21. A suitable electric motor 26, which receives its energy from the before named generator 10, is con- :nected with shaft 21 by gears 28 and 29 to impart a revoluble movement thereto when it is desired to actuate the submerging screws.

The submarine boat is sufficiently buoyant to cause the conning tower to extend above the plane of flotation, which, approximately,

extends along a line AA, Fig. 2, when the submerging screws are at rest and the vessel floats in consequence on the surface of the water. To submerge the vessel, which normally is impenetrable to water, the sub- -merging-screws are actuated by manipulation of a suitably located switch, electrlcally connected with motor 26. By action of the spiral blades, the water belowthe boat is displaced and thrown upward to subsequently cause submergence of the vessel by reaction on the screw-blades and the upper surface of the shell. I As the s eed with which the boat descends isdepen yent on the velocity of the submerging-screws, the vertical movement of the vessel is under abso lute control of the operator, who, in' consequence, may hold the boat at any depth by modifying the speed of the motor, or cause it to return to the surface by arresting the movement of the submerging-scr'ews. place of the shaft-21 which simultaneously actuates the submerging-screws in both funnels, it'may be desired to employ two independent shafts 30 and 30, respectively actuated by separate motors 26 and, 26* as illustrated in Fig. 6. This arrangement not only obviates passing the shaft through'the engine-room, but also permits independent operation of the screws in the two funnels when it isdesired to by these means, raise or' depress the nose of the submerged vessel;

Fig. 5 shows the submerging-screws 31 applied below the keel of the'boat, an arrangement which may be found of advantage in smaller boats where saving of space is of paramount importance; The operationand effect of the screws when in this position is similar to the one heretofore described. They may be actuated by means of motors 26 and 26", the gears 37 of which engage corresponding gears 38 at the extremities of the vertical screw-shafts 39 which, passing through stuffing boxes 40, are revolubly mounted in boxes 41. It should be understood that, although the submerging-screws have been shown to consist of two blades,

their-number may be varied and that the arrangement of the screws and the manner of actuating them maybe altered without de arting from the spirit of the invention.

en the boat is propelled along the surface of the water, funnels 14 may, if so desired,

be closed by suitably o erated covers, as indicated by the broken mes 35 in Fig. 2.

To avoid confusion the electrical connections between the dynamo and the various motors, as well as the operating switches and rheostats have'been omitted from the drawmgs.

Having thus described my invention what each tube to move in opposite directions about a common vertical axis, and removable covers for each end of each tube.

-In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature in presence' of two witnesses..

JOHN M. CAGE. Witnesses:

G. J. ROLLANDET, K. M. STUMP. 

